POWER.

Is power ultimately good or evil?

Some people do whatever they can to get power. Other people do whatever they can to avoid power. What is power, and how do you use it effectively? And for that matter, it possible to use power effectively, or is manipulation under any guise a dangerous thing?

In this Senior Seminar module, we'll explore where power and influence come from, what effect they can have - and you'll have an opportunity to try your hand at wielding power yourself.

Module outline

INTRODUCE

Listen to "How to Get People to Say Yes" NPR story
- Discuss: Do these methods of influencing people feel plausible? Which do you connect with the most? Choose one to try on someone at school this week - you'll reflect on your results later in the module.
  - If you are completing independently: set up a time to check in with the teacher or send an e-mail with your thoughts
Review syllabus and expectations for the module

EXPOSE

Read, watch, and listen to the following. Annotate as needed to remember key points and fill out note catcher
- Watch "Science of Persuasion" video
- Watch "French and Raven's Bases of Power" video
- Read "The New Spheres of Influence: Sharing the Globe With Other Great Powers" article
- Listen to "The Perils of Power" podcast episode
  - Having trouble playing podcast through the link? Access it through Drive here
- Read "How to Win Friends and Influence People" book summary
- Peruse "Time's Most Influential People of 2020" and choose 5 people from the list who represent a variety of backgrounds and influences to read about

**Remember, these sources are provided for you to learn about the topic from multiple perspectives. You are not being asked to agree with the viewpoints shared, but rather to consider how the viewpoints presented align with your own beliefs - and to engage in a conversation where you are using various perspectives to deepen your own understanding and clarify your perspective.

PRACTICE

Engage in Socratic seminar-style discussion based on the sources you read, watched, and listened to. Reference your annotations and the notecatcher to add depth to the discussion.
- If you are completing independently: schedule a time to have a discussion with the teacher. It is recommended that you coordinate with other students taking the module for a more dynamic discussion, if possible.

CREATE

Synthesize what you have learned about power with your choice of DOK: Senior Seminar DOK Choices
Your DOK must integrate your response to each of the following prompts:
- Explain what power is and the variety of ways it manifests
  - Incorporate real life examples from your sources to illustrate beneficial and harmful power
- Reflect on a situation in which someone had power over you; explain which of the 5 bases were used to get you to think or act the way someone else wanted you to
- Reflect on the situation this week where you attempted to influence someone at school based on the Introduction assignment; what approach did you use, and how effective was it?
- How will you use your knowledge about power in the future? Which bases of power do believe you operate in now and hope to operate in in the future?
Self-evaluate your DOK using the appropriate scoring guide and revise as needed

REFLECT

Conference with Danny about your DOK and your experience with this module